Refrigerator hinge



March 14, 1961 J. A. WALLACE ETAL 2,975,013

REFRIGERATOR HINGE Filed April 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 By Nevin Fig.Mw Their Affo ey REFRIGERATOR HINGE Filed April 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS James Awa/lace BY Nevin D. No/der Their Aff ney United StatesPatent REFRIGERATOR HINGE James A. Wallace and Nevin D. Nolder, Dayton,Ohio, assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 804,185

1 Claim. (Cl. S12-296) a food storage compartment therein.

It is the purpose of the present invention to correct or overcomecertain problems that have presented themselves in the development ofthe refrigerator cabinet art. Wipingof a gasket on a door of arefrigerator cabinet against and along a wall surface of the cabinet,particularly at the hinged edge of the door while the gasket iscompressed, adjacent an access opening to a food compartment in thecabinet has been and still is detrimental to properly sealing theopening and is also the major cause of a gasket becoming worn or damagednecessitating frequent replacement of such gaskets. Locating orinstalling a refrigerator cabinet in a corner of a room or kitchen hascreated a problem which in many cases has resulted in wasting valuableoor space therein. For example, when a refrigerator cabinet providedwith a righthand opening door, i.e. a door hinged on the right-handportion of the cabinet, is located in a corner with the right-hand sidewall of the cabinet facing a cupboard or a wall of a room projectingbeyond the front of the refrigerator, the cupboard or room wallinterferes with or forms an obstruction to opening the refrigeratorcabinet door to a 90 or right angle position relative to the cabinetfront. If 4the refrigerator cabinet door cannot be so opened, sliding orrolling shelves provided in the food compartment of the refrigerator areprevented, by the partially opened door, from being extended outwardlyof the compartment and their utility is thereby diminished. In suchcase, it is necessary to space the right-hand side of a refrigeratorcabinet a considerable distance from the cupboard or room wall in orderthat the cabinet door may be swung to a 90 or full right angled positionwith respect to the front of the cabinet so as to permit the shelves inthe food compartment to be slid outwardly thereof. This space is wasted,detracts from the continuity of fronts of cupboards and kitchenappliances adjacent thereto and it becomes unsightly since the spaceforms a dirt or dust collector or 'catcher which is difficult to clean.We therefore contemplate an improvement in the refrigerator cabinet artwhich overcomes dual problems encountered in this art.

An object of our invention is to provide a unique mounting of a door ona refrigerator cabinet which serves to accomplish a twofold purpose inthe construction, installation and use of the refrigerator.

Another object of our invention is to provide a hinge mounting for adoor of a refrigerator cabinet having a gasket thereon sealing anopening in a wall of the cabinet which mounting moves or shifts the doorpivot point, upon swinging the door open, outwardly away from thecabinet wall so that the gasket will not rub or wipe thereagainst toprevent wearing and damagingof the gasket during opening and closingmovements of the door whereby the life of the gasket is prolonged.

A further object of our invention is to provide a hinged closed; and

2,975,013 Patented Mar. 14, 1961 mounting of a door on a refrigeratorcabinet which is responsive to swinging the door open for shifting thehinged edge thereof in a direction transverse to the front wall of thecabinet away from its upright side wall adjacent the hinged mountingtoward the opposite cabinet side wall so as to permit the door to beswung to a 90 or full right angled position relative to the front of thecabinet when the hinged edge of the door is in close proximity to acupboard, another kitchen appliance and/ or a wall of a kitchenprojecting forwardly of the cabinet at the side thereof in the vicinityof the door mounting.

A still further and more specific object of our invention is to provideimpeller means within a hinged mounting or hinging arrangement for adoor of a refrigerator cabinet which acts automatically in response toswinging the door open to change its pivot point on the cabinet andthereby shift the hinged edge of the door in a plurality of directionsto simultaneously and jointly carry out the foregoing objects.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator having our invention embodiedtherein with the refrigerator door shown latched shut to the cabinet;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical fragmentary sectional view taken on theline 2-2 of Figure 1 vshowing one of two similar hinge mountings of therefrigerator door upon the cabinet with the door closed; y

Figure 3 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional View taken on the line3--3 of Figure 2 showing the position of the refrigerator door pivotpoint when the door is Figure'4 is a broken fragmentary sectional viewpartly in elevation showing the refrigerator located in a corner of aroom with the door pivot point moved on the cabinet and the hinged edgeof the door shifted relative thereto.V

Referring -to the drawings for illustrating the present invention, weshow in Figure 1 thereof a household refrigerator including a cabinetmember of generally rectilinear shape provided with a plurality ofinsulated walls forming or defining a food storage compartment 11therein` having an access opening in the cabinet front wall normallyclosed by an insulated door member or structure 12. The cabinet includesin addition to a front wall 14 a back wall 16 (see Figure 4), a top wall17 and opposed upright side walls 18 and 19. Compartment 11 is adaptedkto be cooled by a refrigerant evaporator 2,1 of a closed refrigeratingsystem (not shown) associated with the refrigerator cabinet whichevaporator may be located in the upper part of the food compartment asis conventionalk in the art for preserving food products stored onshelves usually disposed therein. As best shown in Figures 3 v and 4 ofthe drawings, the refrigerator cabinet includes a metal shell formingthe outer Walls thereof. The food storage compartment 11 -is formed by ametal box-like liner 24 separated from the outer shell by a nonmetallicor molded plastic breaker strip 26. Breaker strip 26 has an edge portionhooked over an outwardly bent ange Z7 on liner 24 and has its other edgeportion fitting between a rolled-over, spring-like portion 28 of arearwardly directed integral extension 29 on the cabinet front wall 14.Liner 24 is spaced from the cabinet shell or its outer walls, and thespace therebetween is filled with any suitable or desirable insulatingmaterial 31. Thev access opening to food compartment 11 at the front ofthe cabinet is normally closed by insulated door member 12, and thisdoor comprises an outer metal pan 32 arid an inner preferably moldedplastic pan or panel 33 spaced -member 12 for air sealing food storagecompartment V11 and its access opening in an airtight fashion. A latchmechanism (not shown), actuated by a button, lever, handle or the like37, maintains the door member closed `and gasket 34 sealed against thefront wall surface 14 of the cabinet member. The upright outer walls 14,16, 18 and 19 depend below compartment 11 to form a machine compartmentbeneath same closed at its front by a removable or detachable cover 38and which machine compartment usually houses the refrigerant translatingdevice or unit of the refrigerating system associated with therefrigerator cabinet.

In order to accomplish the objects of this invention, we

provide means for mounting door member 12 on thel cabinet member forhorizontal swinging movement relative `to the cabinet for opening andproviding access to food storage compartment 11. As hereinbefore stated,

it is desirable to mount door 12 on the cabinet member so that its pivotpoint will be changed automatically in response to swinging door 12 openfor a twofold purpose. Accordingly, we mount door member 12 on thecabinet member by spaced apart upper and lower hinge means. Each of thehinge mounting means -comprises a metal hinge pin element having asquared shank part 41 tted in a square extruded hole provided in the topand bottom edges of metal door pan 32 and is welded or otherwisesuitably and rigidly secured to door member 12 against movement relativethereto for rotation therewith in unison with swinging thereof. TheVhinge pins include a substantially at circular head part 42, formedintegral on squared part 41 thereof, which projects outwardly of door 12and is provided with a plurality of gear teeth 43 cut therein for apurpose to be presently described. A nonmetallic preferably moldedplastic glider washer 39 is slipped over the squared shank part 41 ofthe hinge pins prior to securing them to door 12. Each hinge mountingmeans also comprises a flat metal bracket or hinge wing element 46 whichis adjustably secured to a portion of the cabinet member. Washer 39interposed between door 12 and head part 42 of the hinge pins space abracket or wing element 46 from'the door edge so as to eliminatefriction therebetween upon moving the door and to protect the painted orenameled finish on pan 32. The inner end of each bracket 46 haselongated openings 47 therein receiving clamping bolts or the like 48for adjustably and rigidly securing same to a metal frame part 49 of therefrigerator at the upper and lower portions of the cabinet (see Figure2). The brackets 46 are, by loosening bolts 48, adjustable inwardly andoutr wardly of the cabinet to insure proper alignment of door 12 withthe front face of the refrigerator cabinet and to vary thecompressibleness of gasket 34 therebetween for air sealing the accessopening of food compartment 11. The outer end of each hinge wing orbracket element 46 is provided with an elongated aperture 51 receivingthe round head part 42 of the hinge pin elements to provide a shiftablepivot point for or a movable pivoted mounting of one edge of door 12 onthe front of the refrigerator cabinet member. It is to be noted that thelongitudinal center of elongated apertures 51 in brackets 46 extendsalong the cabinet front wall 14 and is disposed at an acute angle withrespect thereto for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The wallportion of elongated aperture 51 in brackets 46 is provided with aplurality of suitable rack or the like teeth 53 with which the gearteeth 43 on the hinge pins mesh. Elongated apertures 51, gear teeth 43and rack teeth 53 provide the hinge means with an impeller or impellingAmeans which is rendered effective automatically inresponseto swingingdoor 12 open for accomplishing the objects of our invention.

ln Figure 4 of the drawings, the refrigerator is shown located in acorner of a room or kitchen, indicated by the right angled room walls 54and 55, with its back 16 and its right-hand upright cabinet side 19substantially abutting or positioned closely adjacent the walls 54 and55 respectively. A refrigerator cabinet provided with a door hingemounted thereon in a conventional manner at the front right-hand cornerthereof cannotordinarily be located as illustrated in Figure 4 becausein the rst place the hinged edge of the door would strike room wall 55upon attempting to swing the door open, and secondly, this wall wouldinterfere with opening the door to a or right angled position relativeto the cabinet. In such case it has, in order to swing the refrigeratorcabinet door 90 open, been customary to space the right-hand side of thecabinet a considerable distance away from such an obstruction as akitchen cabinet and/or wall 55. As before set forth, this spacing of therefrigerator from a kitchen cabinet or room wall projecting outwardlybeyond the front of the cabinet at the hinged side of a door thereon isobjectionable for reasons explained. Therefore, Figure 4 is intended toillustrate how a refrigerator cabinet provided with a swinging doorhinged thereon as presently disclosed can be located in a room cornerand the door opened to a 90 or full right angled position with respectto the cabinet without interference by a wall of the room, such as theroom wall 55.

While the presently disclosed door member 12 is closed and latched shut,gasket 34 is compressed between this memlber and front wall 14 of thecabinet 'member to air seal the food compartment 11. Head 42 of thelhinge pin elements are, when door 12 is in closed position, located yinthe one portion or at the end of peller means incorporated within thepresent hinging arrangement acts automatically in response to swingingdoor 12 since the hinge pin elements are rotated by movement of thedoor. 'thus upon initially swinging door 12, the gear teeth 43 on part42 of the hinge pins meshing with the rack teeth 53 on the wall ofelongated aperture 51 of brackets 46 rotates and drives the hinge pinslengthwise Within the aperture 51 out of the one end portion thereof tothereby change the pivot point mounting of door 12 on the refrigeratorcabinet. The hinge pins and consequently door 12 and that portion ofgasket 34 ythereon at the hinged edge of the door move outwardly awayfrom front wall 14 of the cabinet member to immediately relieve thecompressed gasket. By

'movement of door 12, be swung or rotated away from cabinet wall 14. Inthis manner, gasket 34 is prevented from rubbing or wiping, at least orparticularly while being compressed, along or against the front wallsurface 14 of the refrigerator cabinet (see dot-dash showing in Figure 3of the drawings). An additional opening swinging movement of door 12,say, for example, into a 90 position with respect to the refrigeratorcabinet, drives head part 42 of the hinge pins along and into the otherend portion of elongated aperture 51 in the brackets 46 to furtherchange or shift the pivot point mounting of door 12 on the refrigeratorcabinet outwardly ,away from the front thereof. By changing or shiftingthe pivotal mounting of door 12 with respect to the refrigerator cabinetin Athis manner, the hinged or right-hand edge of the door issimultaneously moved in a direction transverse to the front of 4therefrigerator away from its upright side wall 19 toward the opposedcabinet side wall 18 as shown in Figure #l of the drawings.

It is to be noted that the present arrangement-of an mpeller means inthe door mounting or hinging means causes, when the door is opened, theedge of door 12 at the hinged side thereof to move or be shifted in aplurality of directions relative to the refrigerator cabinet. In otherwords, swinging movement of door 12 moves its hinged edge outwardlyrwithrespect to front wall 14 of the refrigerator cabinet and transverselytherealong away from the room or cupboard wall 55 so that the doorhinged edge will clear same and the cabinet front. By moving the hingededge of door 12 away from the cabinet upright side 19, the door can beswung open to a 90 or full right angled position relative to the cabinetwithout interference by the room wall 55 (see Figure 4). The action ofthe impeller means is positive and automatic in normal opening andclosing movements of door 12, and its construction is such that thesenormal door movements will not damage same. While we have disclosed ourinvention in conjunction with a right-hand opening refrigerator cabinetdoor, it is nevertheless equally applicable toa left-hand opening doorof a refrigerator especially when such a refrigerator is located inanother corner of a room with its back to room wall 54 and its leftupright side adjacent a wall extending at a right angle with respect towall 54.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that we have made animprovement in the construction of a refrigerator cabinet which solvesseveral problems encountered in the installation and use ofrefrigerators. Our unique cabinet door hinging means, with impellermeans built therein, provides a door which can be opened to a 90position with respect to the front of the cabinet to thereby permitslidably or rollably mounted shelves within a compartment thereof to beextended outwardly of the compartment through its access opening. Thehinging means substantially lifts the door gasket, particularly at thehinged side of the door, olf or away from the cabinet surface againstwhich it sealingly engages to thereby prevent wear thereof. By relievingcompression of the gasket at least or particularly at the time it ismoved as and in accordance with our invention, the gasket does notbecome scratched or damaged erated food storage compartment therein'provided with an access opening in a wall of said cabinet, a door norjmally closing the compartment opening, a resilient gasket carried by andextending around said door compressed between the door and said cabinetwa'll for air sealing the compartment opening, hinge means vmountj f ingan edge of said door upon said cabinet for swinging movement relativethereto, said hinge means comprising a bracket secured to the cabinetwith a flat single thickness portion projecting outwardly from saidcabinet wall and a hinge pin associated with said bracket j projectingportion, said hinge pin including two integral parts in side by siderelationship and concentric with one another, one part of said hinge pinbeing circular and the other part thereof being noncircular, saidnoncircular part of the hinge pin extending into the conne of said doorand being rigidly secured thereto for preventing movement therebetween,said at single thickness projecting port-ion of said bracket having anelongated aperture therein with the longitudinal center of the apertureextending at an acute angle with respect to said cabinet wall, theaperture in said bracket being throughout its entire length spacedoutwardly from said cabinet wall, rack teeth'formed in a wall of saidaperture and extending therealong, said circular part of said hinge pinbeing located within said elongated aperture. f

in the same plane and flush with opposed surfacesl of said singlethickness projecting portion of said bracket Y to provide a pivot pointfor said door, gear teeth formed Y open for impelling said hinge pinlengthwise within the aperture to shift said pivot point outwardly awayfrom said cabinet wall and transversely therealongy for preventingwiping of said gasket thereagainst at least while the gasketis'compressed.

References Cited in the'iile of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS2,539,151 Mills Jan. 23, '1951,

FOREIGN PATENTS 283,315 `Great Britain Ian. 12, 1928A K OTHER REFERENCESIBM rTechnical Disclosure Bulletin, V01. 1, No. 2', August 1958,Compensating Hinge Disclosure.

Krause n May 9,` 1944v "Y

